Porous brick for heating purposes.



No. 742,879. Y PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903 J. J. LAWLBR.

POROUS BRICK FOR HEATING PURPOSES.

APPLIQATION FILED Nov. s, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

@W MM@ INVENTOR meffLan/zf.

ATTORN EY UNITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT EETCE.

POROUS BRICK. FOR HEATING PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,879, dated November 3, 1903.

i Application filed November 3, 190.2. Serial No. 129,837. (No model.) l

To (1f/ZZ whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES J. LAWLER, a citizen of the United States', residing at Mount Vernon, county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Porous Bricks for Heating Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved porous brick or block containing an oilsupply pipe through which crude, fuel, or kerosene oil is fed, so as to properly and continuously provide an even'and constant flow, the object being to produce such a brick of proper shape for placing in a wood or coal range without altering said range, so that either a liquid or solid fuel can be used at will.

My invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l'is a perspective View of the iinproved brick ready for placing in a stove or range. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, the brick being in its place in a stove; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one end of the brick, partly in section.

Similar reference-numbers'refer to similar parts in the several views.

The brick 1 may be of any shape to suit the particular stove for which it is intended, such as round, square, or oblong. An oblong brick is shown, as that is the most common shape, one such asis ordinarily used in coalranges.

The brick is preferably molded of a very porous material,such as coarse fire-clay baked in the ordinary manner. To this mixture I may add asbestos fiber or wool in small fragments, the asbestos acting as a binder as well as an absorbent.

No matter what shape is givento the brick it should be so formed that a series of spaces 2 is provided for the circulation of air. The drawings show three slabs or sections 3 standing vertically and joined together at their four corners by ties 4, the sections and ties being all pressed up simultaneously. The vertical faces of these slabs are inclined, whereby the air-spaces are contracted at their upper ends. I provide a hollow duct or channel 5 in each section near the top, into which a supply-pipe 6 is passed. Each of these pipes is perforated with a series of holes 7,

preferably on the upper side, so that the oil will be evenly distributed along the entire length. The supply or branch pipes are joined together by the pipe 6, which is arranged in a transverse recess or groove 6", formed in one of the ties 4, an inlet 8 being provided near the center of the pipe Ga, as shown.

I nd in practice that an inverted siphon 9 acts like a trap and prevents back pressure of gases during the operation. This trapis connected to a supply-tank 10, provided with a valve 1 1 to regulate the How of oil, the tank and valve being placed above the stove some distance to keep it cool and to provide the required hydrostatic pressure to feed the oil into the supplypipes within the sections of the brick.

A drip-tank 12, placed in the ash-pit-of the stove, catches any surplus oil or overow.

The supply-pipes 6 may be molded into the brick during the process of pressing, or they may be inserted afterward and be detachable.v

Such beingthe construction ofmyimproved brick, the operation is as follows: The brick is set on the grate of a coal-stove and connected up with pipes and tank, as shown. Oil is poured into the tank, the valve is turned on, and the oil permitted to permeate the brick. When saturated, a match is applied and the entire brick begins to throw off minute jets of gas all over the sections and ties.

As the brick becomes heated the gas is more readily generated and the jets of gas are increased in length. The air coming in through the ash-pit enters up through the grates on which the brick rests and in passing upward around the sections aords proper combusltion to the flames between the sections.

There is no possibility of explosion, for the reason that the gas cannot back up into the tank through the trap, which, being on a line with or below the brick, is constantly filled with oil. When the tank is empty, there will always remain some oil in the trap, and as it is impossible to get any air into the pipes on the fire side ofthe trap the oil cannot explode. Even when the brick is burning and the tank is empty it can be refilled without any danger of re.

Any vapor or odor from the burning brick is carried off up the tine to the chimney and ICD' any surplus oil will drop into the dish in'the ash-pit.

A little practice will determine just at what point to set the valve so that the supply of oil equals the consumption.

Such being my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

A brick formed of porous material and being formed with a plurality of vertical openings, and openings in the end wall thereof communicating with said vertical openings, the walls of the vertically-extending openings eonverging upwardly, one of said end Walls at a point above the openings thereof being formed With a transverse groove, a pipe arranged in the said transverse groove, and apertured pipes connected to the first-named pipe and extending longitudinally through- -out the brick on opposite sides of the rstnamed openings thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 22d day of October, 1902.

JAMES J. LAWLER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM R. MONAHAN, ANTHONY P. ZoEsoH. 

